Sport Chit Chat

Disclaimer: I suck at MLB playoff predictions. I just don’t have a good handle for whatever reason. So you may do better betting against my picks.

Milwaukee Brewers (+155) vs Philadelphia Phillies (-175)
Pick: Milwaukee Brewers in 5
Why: Pitching counts. Let’s compare rotations. Milwaukee has Gollardo, Sabathia, Suppan, Bush and Sheets who can pitch if the latter two suck. I don’t see a major upgrade between the Phillies, sure they have Utley, Rollins and Howard but the Brew crew have their fair share of talent on the field in Fielder, Braun, Hardy etc. Their role players are just better imo. I say the Phillies are the slightly better team but they don’t impress me and I’ll take the odds at +155.

Los Angeles Dodgers (+170) vs Chicago Cubs (-200)
Pick: Chicago Cubs in 4
I think the stuff about LA’s pitching staff being better is a pile of crap. Zambrano, Lilly, Harden and Dempster is pretty formidable. The Dodger’s staff is backed by the pitcher park friendly so stats wise they benefit. I just think it’s the Cubs year and people just will root as hard as they can for the Cubs. 100 years…
The Dodgers do have momentum on their side but they played in a mediocre division.

Boston Red Sox (+125) vs LAAoA (-145)
Pick: Toss up. Angels in 5?
This one is too close to call, the Sox have more post season experience having just won but they are a lot of injury question marks. I personally don’t like the Angels all that much but I think they could get it done. The Sox have good value here as a slight underdog.

Tampa Bay Rays (-170) vs Chicago White Sox (+150)
Pick: Rays in 3 or 4.
The White Sox tired out their pitchers trying to win the central division and offensively they can’t bring it to the Rays solid corps. I’m not too high on the Sox pitching either. Shields, Kazmir, Garza are as good as a top 3 as you are going to get.

As another seriously disappointing Blue Jays season comes to a pitiful end, the Jays participated in some house cleaning and contender building. The Jays traded the bat of Matt Stairs to the Phillies for a lefty reliever Fabio Castro. This is a sad move for Stairs who always said he enjoyed playing in Toronto, and thusly in this native country of Canada. However, as The Toronto Star reports, Stairs is excited for his move to a contender and attests that he has always hit well in the Phillies home park. Consider picking him up if your in a deep league and Stairs manages to get a solid spot in the lineup and gets a hot bat going. As a Jays fan this move is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s sad to see a fan favourite and good hitter leave the club, but it’s also a smart move for a club looking to shed some pay roll. Sure Stairs wasn’t hitting great, but he can be streaky and could be a great left handed bat for the Phillies to have going into the post season. The post season, something the Jays have not even had the taste of in quite some time.
Going into this season with over $100 Million in payroll the Jays were hoping for a playoff run and important games in September. neither of these came through and now the Jays are in shambles, dealing with potential managerial firings and a team that looks like it doesn’t have what it takes, nor will it ever. Sure there have been some bright spots such as the great pitching the Jays have received, as well as the rise of youngster Adam Lind. But it has been overall a sad season for the boys in blue. They have a bunch of over paid, under performing players who are not enough to compete with. Let’s just hope they can turn it around for next season before their great pitching staff dissipates.

-Maxmillien

P.S. Sucks if you have Josh Beckett going into your fantasy stretch run. Maybe consider waiting to see who take a spot start, maybe Masterson or Bucholz.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired some starting pitching help in Joe Blanton this evening for 3 prospects; second baseman Adrian Cardenas, pitcher Josh Outman and outfielder Matthew Spencer.

The Phillies get Joe Blanton who is 27 years old and a pitcher who the Phillies will get to keep for 2 (or 3) more seasons. Due to being under control he is worth more. Blanton’s best season remains his rookie season which he sported a 3.53 ERA in just over 200 innings.

So far this season, he’s had a tough year with a 4.96 ERA and a 5-12 record. He has an up and down career path, doing well one year, sort of sucking (league average), doing well again and once again sucking. He also strikes very few.

Blanton strikes me as the type of guy that would struggle away from Oakland’s management. It’s the Braves effect where they have superior coaching and analysis… they sometimes can swindle someone. Blanton is an not an overpowering guy and pitches to contact. He may take a beating in Philadelphia.

The A’s get:
Adrian Cardenas. Cardenas is the Phillies #2 prospect. He was drafted in the first round in 2006. He has hit at or above .300 in all 3 professional seasons displaying great plate discipline with speed on the bases. The power hasn’t really come but the man is just 20 but he’s very well rounded and people believe he can be a star. Phuture Phillies says his swing is reminiscent of current Phillies 2nd basemen Chase Utley or could end someone like David Wright.

Josh Outman was rated as the #3 prospect in the Phillies system by John Sickels. He’s a lefty with good stuff but has some control issues. He’s just 23-years old and has done a pretty good job in AA. I’d like to see Oakland take their time with him and a full season in AA may help to work with his control. If control remains an issue at worst he becomes a LOOGY on an MLB team. He’s close to being major league ready but there’s no need for Oakland to rush him.

Matt Spencer looks quite unimpressive based on his statistics, low average, okay power. Throw in and with a 6′5 frame with decent speed, maybe there’s something the A’s like about him.

This trade looks TERRIBLE for the Philadelphia Phillies. Giving up 2 of the 3 of your best prospects for a pitcher who will likely be a #4 with a potential to have a decent season every now and then is unacceptable for this package. All prospects are young and raw yes but Oakland is a team that makes you pay for trades. Basically Philadelphia gave up more then the Cubs to get just one pitcher who isn’t even as good.

The rest of the internet seems to agree:
MLB Trade Rumors‘ comment section is filled with bad trade. At first it was going to be Cardenas only but Outman makes it bad.
The Good Phight called it Elder Abuse: Billy Beane is much younger then the retirement ready Gillick.
A lot of the fans at Athletics Nation called it receiving Cupcakes.
Beerleaguer thinks it’s good timing with the deadline close and that it’s a good to try to make it the playoffs. The bad is that Blanton may marginally help them out.